Currently, retail establishments which dispense and sell fuel typically require the user to provide proof of funds in advance of dispensing any fuel. The proof of funds may be provided by pre-paying for the fuel in advance with a form of payment, such as cash, check or a credit card. The proof of funds may also be provided by obtaining a payment pre-authorization in advance from a credit card company, upon scanning of a user's credit card. The proof of funds may also be provided to a cashier of the retail establishment, or to a self-checkout station or kiosk at or near the fuel dispensing station.
In either way, the user typically has to provide proof funds before dispensing fuel. This takes time and requires user interaction with either a cashier or a self-checkout station, adding time to the user's shopping experience. Additionally, as a result of this process, retail establishments have to invest in cashiers or self-checkout stations, and additional time is required from the customer to complete his purchase by having to go to a cashier or a self-checkout station. It would be desirable to provide a customer and a retail establishment with a method for purchasing and dispensing fuel from a retail establishment in a streamlined and timely manner.